Display devices

ABSTRACT

Display devices particularly useful to convey periodically changing information are disclosed. The new display devices include a rigid baseboard member and corrugated panel sections removably mounted thereon by hooked and looped nylon fastening strips. The corrugated panels are adapted to support removable characters.

2/1935 Maughlin.........1...........

4O 64 mum 401 O 4 9mm wm SSC 79 566 999 111 //l 462 FOREIGN PATENTS 11/1916 GreatBritain................

Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-Wenceslao J. Contreras Att0rney-Mandeville and Schweitzer Seymour Shankman Long Island, N.Y. Appl. No. 838,807 Filed July 3, 1969 Patented Aug. 31, 1971 Assignee International Patterns, llnc.

Carles Place, L.l., N.Y.

DISPLAY DEVICES 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

United States Patent' [72] Inventor l3 V l 4 I; H u )4 l l ln M and" In I? m S D /D M F m i II n H :12 M t, in m d1 m mm m . c m m E m m mT m m Mm H m m mm uh m .mm um Us V ILM Std 2 UMF Mm Ill 1 n DISPLAY DEVICES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to display devices for communicating information. More specifically, the invention provides a display board with easily removable and interchangeable panels which in turn, support and releasablyretain indicia such as letter and number characters.

characteristically, display devices for conveying periodically changing information to the public, such as menu boards utilized in cafeterias and luncheonettes, have been a nuisance to maintain, requiring a substantial amount of time to effect a change of message. This is particularly true in the food industry where menu display boards must typically be changed three times a day; once for every mealserved. Within the food industry, menu changeovers are considered a tedious chore, consuming a disproportionate share of available time in a nonproductive endeavor. I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The display boards of the invention are lightweight, portabie and very attractive to the eye. Typically, the new display boards include a rigid plastic base member that is large enough to display all the required information. A number of panels, each supporting a grouping of characters that are removable and interchangeable, are temporarily mounted on the base member in a manner such that each of the indicia bearing panels can be easily and individually removed from the base member and replaced with another, similar, indicia bearing panel. Further, the characters composing the indicia on each panel may also be easily removed and replaced with other characters.

In accordance with a very important aspect of the invention,

pearance. The tapes are easily joined by bringing theflooped 3 5 In accordance with the invention, each individual panel may be set up with a different given piece of information that is to be used periodically. To change the message on the new display board, it is necessary simply to replace the panels on the board containing the old message with prearranged panels containing the new message, as opposed to the existing procedure of replacing each individual character making up the old message.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. I of the drawing, a display device, generally indicated as III, is shown. The illustrated display device includes a plurality of corrugated panels II, which are temporarily and replaceably joined to a rigid baseboard 112 by securing means 113. Characters M, which may be any form of lettering or numbers, are removably retained within the grooves I5 of the corrugated panels 11.

In accordance with the invention, panels II have an accordion or corrugated structure, most clearly shown in FIG. 3. Preferably, the panels II are constructed of a lightweight, flexible plastic material and have a corrugated structure forming alternating grooves I5 and flat ridge sections I50 for supporting the characters I4.

The characters 114 are typically provided with tablike members 17 (FIG. 3) projecting from their rear surface. In accordance with a specific aspect of the invention, grooves 15 are of a slightly smaller width than the thickness of tabs 17, so that when inserted into the grooves 15, tabs I7 are securely retained by the springlike tendency of the spread grooves to attain their relaxed dimension, yet are easily removed and replucedwhen desired.

and hooked surfaces together and applying slight pressure thereto. The strips may be easily separated by prying of pulling them apart. Because of their nylon construction, and nonconsumable nature Velcro strips are indefinitely reuseable and provide a permanent means for temporarily securing the character-bearing panels II to the baseboard I2.

' The securing means 13 of the invention preferably comprises first and second Velcro strips to removably secure each character-bearing panel II to the baseboard 12. The first Velcro strips include a pair of parallel tapes I8, permanently secured to the baseboard I2. The rear, i.e., noncharacterbearing surface of each of the panels 11, is provided with a .pair of relatively small pieces of Velcro tape 19 (FIG. 2)

spaced so as to mate with strips 18 when the panels are pressed against the baseboard. In accordance with the invention, the small pieces of Velcro strip 19, may be mounted on the rear side of the corrugated panels by inserting the tape into a number of the wide U'shaped sections E6, to form a sinuous tape configuration, as shown in FIG. 3. i

The character-bearing panels II are very easily and quickly removed from the baseboard 12 because of the advantageous characteristics of the Velcro tapes and the fact that a gap, which can be used to grip the panel when removing it, is inherently formed between the panels and baseboard by the Velcro tapes.

When utilized as a menu display board in a cafeteria or luncheonette, baseboard I2 is typically heavy gauge plexiglass and should be of a size sufficient to support a number of corrugated panels II equal to the maximum number of items on the menu at any one time during the day. Each of the corrugated panels 11 can be slightly greater in height than the characters used and should preferably be somewhat less in width than the baseboard 12, in order to provide an attractive border around the array of panels. Each corrugated strip may be set up to identity and price one item on panel menu. For greatest efficiency in utilizing the principles of the invention in a menu display board, an individual corrugated panel is made up for each item on the menu for every daily meal served in the eating establishment. After this initial setup procedure, the characters on each individual panel do not have to be changed except in the event of additions to the bill of fare or price changes.

In changing the menu of a menu board in accordance with the invention from breakfast to luncheon, for instance, the mounted panels specifying breakfast items are replaced by panels defining luncheon items. By utilizing the new display device as a menu display board, the process of changing the menu from one meal to the next becomes very simple and rapid, usually less than 50 seconds, requiring the changing of usually about ten to fifteen panels instead of over a hundred individual characters, which could easily take an hour to accomplish.

The display devices of the invention provide a unique and practical means for coping with the problem of conveying periodically changing information. In addition to substantially reducing changeover time, the new display devices are significantly less expensive than existing menu display boards, which are typically permanent fixtures.

Iclaim:

I. A device for displaying arrays of symbols having rearwardly projecting tabs, comprising a. a rigid two-dimensional baseboard,

b. a plurality of rectangular panels each having parallel,

uniformly spaced female corrugations definitive of retaining means for retaining the tabs of said symbols therein,

c. each of said panels having a plurality n of corrugations being of a width equal to a multiple (n+2) of said uniform spacings of said corrugation means and being subdivided into (n+2) uniform rectangles by said corrugations,

d. fastening means for releasably securing said corrugated panels to said baseboard immediately adjacent to one another with edges'of neighboring panels in substantial abutment,

e. saidfastening means including pairs of first and second hooked and looped tape means mat'ably mounted on said baseboard and said corrugated panels respectively,

. said first and second hooked and looped tape means cooperating to fonn a temporary union between said baseboard and corrugated panels when pressed together,

g. whereby abutting groups of said panels are adapted to provide the appearance of a unitary corrugated display board having uniformly spaced corrugations.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein a. said corrugated panels include a series of alternating flat ridges and grooves, and i b. said flat ridges being disposed to form a flat surface.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein a. said first tape means includes two parallel strips of Velcro tape attached to the surface of said baseboard and spaced a predetermined distance apart, and I b. said second tape means includes a pair of Velcro tape sections spaced said predetermined distance apart and mounted on the underside of each of said corrugated panels.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein a. said second Velcro tape sections are retained within the a. said baseboard is plexiglass, and

b; said corrugated panels are flexible plastic. 

1. A device for displaying arrays of symbols having rearwardly projecting tabs, comprising a. a rigid two-dimensional baseboard, b. a plurality of rectangular panels each having parallel, uniformly spaced female corrugations definitive of retaining means for retaining the tabs of said symbols therein, c. each of said panels having a plurality n of corrugations being of a width equal to a multiple (n+2) of said uniform spacings of said corrugation means and being subdivided into (n+2) uniform rectangles by said corrugations, d. fastening means for releasably securing said corrugated panels to said baseboard immediately adjacent to one another with edges of neighboring panels in substantial abutment, e. said fastening means including pairs of first and second hooked and looped tape means matably mounted on said baseboard and said corrugated panels respectively, f. said first and second hooked and looped tape means cooperating to form a temporary union between said baseboard and corrugated panels when pressed together, g. whereby abutting groups of said panels are adapted to provide the appearance of a unitary corrugated display board having uniformly spaced corrugations.
 2. The display device of claim 1, wherein a. said corrugated panels include a series of alternating flat ridges and grooves, and b. said flat ridges being disposed to form a flat surface.
 3. The display device of claim 1, wherein a. said first tape means includes two parallel strips of Velcro tape attached to the surface of said baseboard and spaced a predetermined distance apart, and b. said second tape means includes a pair of Velcro tape sections spaced said predetermined distance apart and mounted on the underside of each of said corrugated panels.
 4. The display device of claim 3, wherein a. said second Velcro tape sections are retained within the corrugated structure of said corrugated panels.
 5. The display device of claim 1, wherein a. said baseboard is plexiglass, and b. said corrugated panels are flexible plastic. 